Portable searchlight



July 13 1926.

G. C. CARPENTER PORTABLE SEARCHLIGHT 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5 JMMQWMM Z 5% 5 W 6L 6 3Z 2 6 my #2 July 13 1926'. 1,592,178

G. c. CARPENTER PORTABLE SEARCHLIGHT Filed June 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sh Ely 1. i6

@;rz%wz 6mg C. Eazaezfier GUY C. CARPENTER, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PORTABLE SEABGHLIGHT.

Application filed June 5, 1925, Serial No. 35,213.

the hand that directs the light, and to permit of the directing'ot'the light variantly,

by the this comfortable hang continues.

single hand which holds it, while The invention can be applied to a gas lamp, using acetylene or other source of power, but is here shown applied to an incandescent lamp operated by storage battery.

In all hand-hanging searchlights heretofore proposed, so far as Iam aware, the shifting of direction of rays has involved the shifting of the hang of the generator; and in every position butone the holding of the lamp-direction requires continuous and exhausting physical efiort, because the heavy generator, for example a wet cell storage battery, has its weight continuously tending to pull the holders hand away from its necessary position for directing the rays, and has to be overcome by muscular resist This soon. preventsthat steady holdmg of the lamp which is necessary, espe cially if the object be at adistance. In the work of firemen and policemen dangerous situations arise in which it is hip; ly important that the light rays can easily be held s early and fined in any given direction, and as easily be changed. to and held in. another resent invention enables this to be done, by arranging for a portion of the hand 4r center of erahiy e; Oi"

rip to be always vertic avity of the generator, and pretnaking it intersect the ho 'ryontal by h ally over the the swivel al'out which the grip and generator turn with reference to each. other,

when the light is directed up or down.

As illustrated herein, the generator is aupported within avsuitable casing; having; upstanding arms between which the handle of the Searchlight is pivot swivelled so as to swing about a horizontal axis which lies in a to th ough the center o.

ator. with :31 circuit.

nanole the handle iitabl e 'i'he hano l plane p sing;

h pmis transverse to its said mounted or preferably be substantially in its plane, but may be disposed above or below it. In whichever relation it is placed, it is so arranged that however the lamp be swung about this axis, the hand gripping the handle can be vertically above the center of gravity of the generator while holding the rays in the desired direction. Then the pullof the weight of the generator is always directly downward from' ones hand and can be carried or held with a minimum of physical effort, for the weight of the generator is not applied as a force tending to swing the projector of rays angularly about the point of suspension of the whole. Moreover, the weight of the lamp and handle may be so disposed as to be in balance about the horizontal axis, although this refinement is ordinarily unnecessary as the weight of these parts is relatively not appreciable when compared with the weight of the generator. It is also a feature of the in vention to provide for the turning of the up about a vertical axis with respect to the generator. This is not essential when the light is held in the hand, for then e mp and generator can be turned. as a um I, the holder nerely turner-a; his war the horizontal direction of the it desirable at times to stand the .igght on a fire tiuclr or other support or in socket:;' and, when so standing, the lamp support thereon may be turned in the horital plane on the generator casin This together with in turning vertical plane about the he zontal axis previously 'med pro as universal ad- 'jiustment oft-he light rays, comparable to the adjustment that may be had when the light is supported by the hand alone.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, suitable expression in the appended wi'iatever features or patentable novst in the invention disclosed In "the accompanying drawings, which present an illustrative embodiment 0?. the

'de elevation a rst o e invention; e 5?- IS a similar new of a .mediiicaa rear view 0:

Figure 3 is a plan view of the light of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation partly in section on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a front elevation in section on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, a lamp 10 is secured to a handle 12 by any suitable means, as by binding screws 14 passing through the reflector 16 into the annular wall of a split socket 121 formed in the handle end. A hollow stem 18, welded or otherwise secured to the reflector, fits snugly within the socket and is clamped there securely by a screw 20 which passes through one and threads into the other of two depending lugs 122 on each side of the slot 123 in the handle socket. A sleeve 22, extending through the reflector stem constitutes the socket for the bulb 24 at the lamp end and houses an insulating plug 26 at the other. This sleeve has a hole 221 in alignment with the slot 123 of the socket, into which a pointed tool can be inserted to slide the sleeve in or out to focus the bulb. The terminals of the bulb contact with insulated conducting posts 261 extending through the insulating plug, and wires (1 lead thence to a plunger switch 28 arranged with its plunger 281 vertical, as see in Figure 5. The top protruding end of this plunger can be pressed by the holders thumb to close the switch, and can be withdrawn to shut off the light by the thumb being shifted across the hollow neck portion of the handle to a short lever 30 whose forked end engages the neck of the plunger 281. A slight pressure tilts the lever and raises the plunger to open the switch.

Just back of the switch a hand grip portion 124 extends directly rearward, from whose front and back ends side arms 125 project laterally and are joined by side bars 125 parallel with the said hand grip portion, which engage the pivots 30 on which the up and down swinging occurs; The rear laterals 125 may be made somewhat thicker than the forward ones 125, in order to counterbalance the weight of the lamp and switch about the horizontal axis, a2w, through the pivots 30,-located about midway of the hand from front to rear. These pivots 30 are axle screws passing through the side arms 126 and through arms 32 that rise from a casing 34 beneath, which houses a storage battery 36. This casing is a simple receptacle having a hinged cover 341 with suitable means 342 for fastening it in closed position. If desired the arms 32 may be made integral with the cover, but preferably they are provided in the form of a yoke whose web 321 is pivotall mounted at the center of the cover, vertically over the center of gravity of the battery. The axle screws 30 supporting the handle, and the central vertical screw pivot 38 on the cover, may be provided with friction washers 40 to steady the swinging movement, and to hold the lamp in any adjusted position in which it is placed. Moreover, the casing 34 is not necessary, although preferred, because the ordinary composition shell of the battery could be provided with upstanding extensions adapted to perform the functions of arms 32.

A suitable plug connection is provided between wires Z) leading from the switch 28 and the wires 0 leading from the battery terminals 363. This connection is here shown as a flush receptacle 42 attached to the casing 34 and connected to wires 0 in which a polarity plug 44 on the end of the wires 7) may be inserted, to complete the circuit between the battery and the lamp. \Vhen it is desired to charge the battery this plug 44 may be withdrawn and another put in its place having connection with a source of electrical energy. For renewal of liquid, the cover 341 is unfastened and turned backward about its hinges 343, thereby exposing the filling plugs 361 in the top of the battery. It is to be noted that renewal of liquid is required only to compensate for the normal loss by evaporation. There is no spilling of the liquid, as has heretofore been experienced in such hand lights, because the invention rovides for the maintenance of the battery in upright position, without regard to the tilt of the lamp.

To use the searchlight, ones hand is placed about the hand grip with the thumb resting on the top of the switch plunger 281. A slight pressure lights the lamp, and its rays may be sent in any horizontal direction by turning either the handle or the light as a whole. To turn the rays upward or downward, one merely turns the handle about its axis a2a. The relative position of the battery in respect to the hand is not changed, for no matter in what direction the lamp is turned, this center of gravity (assumed to be at G, Fig. 1) will always be under the hand. There is therefore no tendency for the weight of the battery to twist the hand, and consequently the muscles are not unduly taxed. This makes it possible for one person to handle the lamp longer and more easily, and with greater steadiness. He can direct the light rays upon a chosen spot and hold them there unswervingly.

If the light is set upon a fixed support, such as the ground, or a fire truck, the lamp can be turned about the horizontal axis m-nz to throw the rays upward or downward, and about the vertical axis 3 3 to shift them sidewise.

The embodiment shown in Figures 2 and has a modified form of handle comprising a hollow ortion 126 extending backward directly rom the reflector 16, whence transverse arms 127 extend to pivotal mounts on the arms 32 of the yoke which rise. 20211 the generator oas s The reflecio? 15 secured to the handle by screw 141, and 1 as w thin its stem a movable slesve as; lere ioi T6 desoz'ibed. An upstandiixg ho low post 128 at the from of the handle looses a switch wfi h buttons 46 extend-- ing oirlvtward the sides of we post i The. hails port! from the $0 of this post to the back and of the hollow portion 1 6, on the are of oil-do whose cantor is on the of tho axle screws 30. As flue lamp is tipped downward or upwaroi, the 'iqoldiers hand can slip oiong ms ourvod hand grip portion so as to be mai ained above the center of gravity of batter-y 21ml thus be froo of any twisting of the woig'hs held.

I daim as my invention:

A porta olte semohlight adapted to be Lo hand, L prising, in com bin:,- generator therefor; and a tho two; said handle being" o horizontal axis vertically @zich is tho senior of gravity of the and hafiflg a hood. gyip go'rfiion 1 'zomal '1' and rotatable, M301; 1 which is 5 motor; 11: Shoe is p range 0 iOD of 3- g me W0 z 2 ms Verb my mums which 12 d eoorator; solo.

hand gri spmg J mac-1011 across sold. axis by upon shlftmg; of the ainguiar ole hwi in the hand. oom c1 9 J on 129 curves rearwarfl held in the hand, comprising, in wool. don, a lamp, :1 generator therefor, 211151 a. handle joining the two; said handle being rot-Mame about a v tic-a1 orator, and about a horizontal axis in ersoc ovsrtlcos'. axis agave said center of gravity; and sand handle havlng 2 1 homo? rt an extonding on. both sides of A L 111m 1'10 said horizontal axis and coniaining said verticai axis 6. A portable Searchlight adop'fiofi held in the hand, coringrising in oombimfi hon, batiery; a casing thorofor; a yo mounted rotatably on said casing with axis of rotation pass ing verticafiy $11270 vi: MU

between said m a ma 1% oi d c. one hon having a hollow so, ond a sliaovo in so." i; '0 {will 5% ad} focusing said bulb,

8. A poi-tome Sfifilfibfig 52nd sums one. mvoia W12 L a hoamomm aims V8 1-.

ity o: s

" nor by tho I said 9L nora bia- F banal, (2

aka Tic 1 standi held in mus zzz ssmg through the center. of: gravity of 651:: 5911 omzoui-al axis and movablo 1n pianobetween said arms and pivotally mounted thereon on a horizontal axis vertically under which is the center of gravity of said battery; a plunger switch mounted near the 5 lamp on one side of said handle with its plunger movable by downward pressure thereon to close the switch; and means extending across the axis of the handle and adapted to transmit downward pressure thereon to said plunger for moving the 10 plunger to open said switch.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this twenty-ninth day of May 1925.

GUY C. CARPENTER. 

